The Cell
by Saturn
Summary: John and Aeryn get caught and their captors will do what it takes to find out where the others are.


The Cell  
By Saturn  
  
Rating: R  
  
Spoilers: Not many at all but just to be careful, probably Season 1 and Season 2 up to TWWW.  
  
Disclaimer: Farscape belongs to Jim Henson Co., Network Nine, Hallmark Entertainment and other lucky people, not me. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little fun.  
  
Archiving: Sure, but please tell me where it is.  
  
Feedback: Please let me know what you thought of it. Space_chick50@hotmail.com   
  
Notes: Thanks to Kate for reading this for me. It's my first attempt at fanfic so don't expect anything too spectacular!  
  
This fic deals with Aeryn getting raped. Please, please don't read it if it'll upset you.  
  
"Ugh," John Crichton groaned as he was thrown roughly into a dark, damp cell. The barred door was slammed shut and Crichton could hear the sound of heavy, alien footsteps retreating down the corridor. He pulled himself to his knees and crawled towards a side wall. His head and abdomen ached where not half an arn earlier he had been viciously beaten by a group of bounty hunters.  
  
The commerce planet they had landed on had seemed a good choice. No Peacekeeper activity, not even wanted beacons. Aeryn and Crichton had been chosen to blend in with the planets population and 'procure' them some supplies.   
  
But things had gone horribly wrong as usual. Aeryn and John had been in a tiny junk shop, trying to get spare parts for some of Moya's systems when eight or nine Sebaceans, who were obviously bounty hunters, had suddenly surrounded them. John had been brutally kicked until he became unable to stand, let alone fight back. Aeryn had fled at John's desperate command, but half of the hunters had followed her and though he dreaded it, he had no doubt that she would be captured. There weren't many places to hide in the small town they had landed in and she wouldn't have made it back to the transport pod on the outskirts before they caught up with her.  
  
John pulled himself into a standing position and unsteadily walked over to the door. He craned his neck and peered down the dark corridor. At the sight of three vicious looking Sebaceans approaching, he retreated into the depths of the shadow, hoping against hope that they'd just pass and leave him alone.   
  
They didn't. One of them, seemingly their leader, stopped in front of his holding cell door with the other two flanking him on either side. He turned and signalled to someone, or something, in the corridor and in a microt blinding white light flooded the small rooms and corridor, exposing John for the hunters to see.  
  
"Ah, John Crichton," he began, the forced pleasantness of his tone intimidating. "We have captured your friend and now need to know where the rest of your travelling companions are. If you choose to tell us, neither of you will be harmed. If you don't..." his menacing voice trailed off, leaving John to imagine what would happen.  
  
"Who are you?" he choked out bitterly.  
  
"That's none of your business. Now tell us what we need to know."  
  
John remained defiantly silent, his head held high.  
  
"I thought that would be the case," he said, looking down the corridor towards sounds of scuffling and groans. "Ah, here she comes. I think a little persuasion is necessary don't you?"  
  
Three more Sebaceans brought an obviously drugged Aeryn down the corridor towards them.  
  
"Where do you want her?" One asked roughly  
  
"Just hang onto her for a microt," the leader told them as he slowly circled Aeryn's slumped body. "She is a pretty one," he said to no one particular. "Put her in the cell opposite his," he barked suddenly. "How long will the drugs last?"  
  
"About half an arn," one man replied. "Probably longer."  
  
"Perfect, no resistance," the leading Sebacean said, an evil smile spreading across his tight features.  
  
Aeryn was dumped in the empty cell opposite John's, the bump of landing on the ground causing her eyes to flicker open. John moved closer to the bars to unsuccessfully try and see if she was hurt in any other way. The tall, dark haired man walked into the cell and directed a hard kick to Aeryn's stomach. She groaned and automatically curled up against the pain. He signalled to the men standing around and they quickly left the cell and then disappeared down the corridor. The other Sebacean suddenly reached down and grabbed a handful of Aeryn's beautiful dark hair, yanking her to her feet. She opened her eyes once again and stared at his evilly grinning face. The man let go of her hair and she collapsed onto her back on the floor like a limp rag doll, her fall prompting an urgent call from John.  
  
"Aeryn!" He turned towards the other being in her cell and spat out angrily, "What are you going to do to her?"  
  
He laughed manically at that before replying, "Oh don't you worry, you won't miss a thing."  
  
He squatted down next to Aeryn's body and reached out with both hands, lewdly groping her breasts through the thin, grey material of her vest top.  
  
"Stop it!" John cried out, anger and pain filling his voice. "Deal with me instead!"  
  
"Oh that would never be as effective as having you watch her 'torture'," he replied smoothly. With one fluid motion the Sebacean ripped Aeryn's top from her body, the flimsy fabric splitting along the seams. Aeryn's eyes flew open and a look of absolute horror filled her face. Still too weak to do anything she struggled feebly as his hands continued to feel her chest roughly. Aeryn cried out once in terror as her eyes locked with Crichton's in the cell opposite.  
  
"John!"  
  
"It's alright Aeryn," he called soothingly, "I'll stop him." Turning to speak to the other man he called angrily,  
  
"I'll tell you what you want to know, just get out of her cell."  
  
"No, no, no! I'm having far too much fun!" the dreadful man replied, calmly punching Aeryn in her face and grinning as her head rolled to one side. He reached further down her body and forcefully caressed her thigh. Aeryn cried out at the indignity of what he was doing to her, which made him even rougher than before.  
  
"Leave her alone!" John yelled furiously, slamming both his clenched fists into the cell door. Seeing the man reaching for the waistband of Aeryn's trousers John turned away with tears in his eyes, absolutely sickened.  
  
"Oh God, no," he thought desperately as the sound of ripping material and Aeryn's occasional pained cries filled the air. When John had the courage to look back again, the Sebacean was lifting himself from Aeryn's naked body and straightening his clothing. Tears flowed freely down both Aeryn's and John's cheeks and the look on Aeryn's face was one of horror. Still without much strength Aeryn had curled herself into a ball, facing the far wall of the cell.  
  
"You monster!" John cried again and again at the Sebacean who now stood outside his cell grinning smugly.  
  
"Now then Crichton, are you going to answer my question as to the whereabouts of your friends or do I enjoy myself again?"  
  
The grin on his face widened slightly when, with a look of absolute horror at what he was doing, John answered.  
  
"They're in orbit."  
  
"That was a wise choice Crichton. I shall deal with them at once."   
  
As he began to walk off John called at his back, "Will you put her in my cell? She needs help."  
  
The Sebacean carried on walking but a microt later a guard came down to their cells and grabbed Aeryn off the floor by her hair. He flung her towards John and then left.  
  
"Oh baby," John whispered as he took Aeryn in his arms. She tried to pull away, not realising who he was, but he held onto her and stoked her hair soothingly. She relaxed, realising that he wasn't going to hurt her.  
  
"John?" she murmured. "John, where are we?" Then she closed her eyes again and drifted into what appeared to be sleep.  
  
John examined the damage to her body. Aeryn's lip was split with dried blood around her mouth. Dark bruises covered her arms, legs and stomach but nothing seemed to be broken. John stripped off his black T-shirt and slipped it over her head. Then he took off his own Calvins and eased them up her long, slender legs.  
  
Having made sure that Aeryn was covered and a little more comfortable, he tapped his comm. badge.  
  
"Pilot? Zhaan? Can you hear me?"  
  
"Go ahead John," Zhaan answered. "Will you and Aeryn be returning to Moya soon?"  
  
John grimaced and answered her question. "No Zhaan, we won't. Aeryn and I have been caught by a group of Sebacean bounty hunters. I had to tell them you're in orbit, so at the first sign of a ship approaching Starburst outta here."  
  
"You gave them our position? John how could you?!" Zhaan answered, her voice betraying the hurt she was feeling.  
  
"I had to Zhaan. I'm really sorry," he replied, pleading. "I've gotta go. Someone's coming."  
  
John tapped his comm. badge again and severed the communication link. Down the corridor he could hear the sound of shouting and stamping feet. He went up to the door, worried that someone was coming back for Aeryn. To his surprise, John watched as members of the group that had caught them were captured themselves, and their hands cuffed behind their backs by uniformed security officers. One of the men approached his cell and unlocked the door saying,  
  
"Our planet would like to apologise for your treatment at the hands of these greedy barbarians. They are wanted criminals here. You are now free to go."  
  
Having said that the man walked on to the next cell and John could here him repeating the speech he had just made. Crichton didn't move for a few microts, stunned into inactivity. Suddenly he came back to life and couldn't believe his luck. John rushed to the back of the cell and scooped Aeryn's limp and battered body up into his arms. He left the cell and followed the few people who had also been imprisoned. They went down dark corridor after dark corridor and finally came to what appeared to be a lift shaft. Everyone piled in and the lift began to rise. No one said a word and just stood looking at each other in silence, none of them believing their luck. The lift rose swiftly and soon they all emerged into sunshine.   
  
"I didn't know we were underground," John thought to himself in amazement. "How did they get me down there without me realising?" Giving up his confused line of thought John moved away from the few people who were still emerging from the lift and gently placed Aeryn on the ground.   
  
"Zhaan?" John called into his comm. unit on his chest.  
  
"Are you okay John?" Zhaan replied, worried. "We were about to send D'Argo down to rescue the two of you. There's no sign of any threatening ships yet."  
  
"It's a long story Zhaan. Well actually it isn't. The people who had us have been caught themselves by this planet's police force. I'm fine, but Aeryn's unconscious. I think we're on the outskirts of the town so I'll see y'all in about half an arn."  
  
"Okay John," Zhaan replied as she shut off the comm. channel. She was worried about Crichton; his voice wasn't the same as usual, and with Aeryn unconscious! Zhaan hurried out of Command and went off to prepare the items she thought she might need.  
  
When John arrived back on Moya with Aeryn's bruised and battered form the rest of the crewmembers were horrified at the state she was in. Zhaan took charge, directing D'Argo to take Aeryn from John and take her to their makeshift infirmary. John and Chiana followed closely, leaving the DRDs to deal with the transport pod. Rygel floated at the very back of the procession, an uncharacteristic look of genuine worry on his face. John stopped at his cell long enough to grab another shirt before joining the others. When D'Argo had laid Aeryn down on one of the beds Zhaan began shooing people out of the cell, clearing her work area. Rygel, Chiana and D'Argo left reluctantly, but when Zhaan tried to get rid of John, he protested.  
  
"No Zhaan, I need to stay."  
  
"Very well John," was all Zhaan answered as she went bout her work. John sat watching her, perched on a pare bed. After about a quarter of an arn Zhaan spoke up.  
  
"Apart from the bruises Aeryn has nothing wrong with her. I really don't know why she is unconscious."  
  
"Aeryn was drugged on the planet," John said softly. "She seems to have slipped back into it. She was awake for a while. You sure she hasn't got any internal injuries?"  
  
"I'm quite sure," Zhaan replied, watching a look of relief flit over the Human's face. "John, what happened to you? Aeryn is wearing your clothing."  
  
No one else had commented on it, but of course Zhaan would want to know why, John thought to himself.  
  
"Umm...uhh...Aeryn...they," he began before visibly shaking himself and taking a deep breath. "I wouldn't tell them what they wanted to know so they tortured Aeryn with me watching. That's why I had to tell them where you were, to make them stop." He looked pleadingly into Zhaan's eyes and saw both sympathy and anger.  
  
"What did they do to her?" she asked gently, suspecting with dread Aeryn's torture. John's eyes filled with tears and Zhaan reached out to grasp his hand.   
  
"They raped her Zhaan," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "They raped her and they made sure I could see and hear everything. It's all my fault, I wouldn't tell them where you were at first."  
  
"No, John, no," Zhaan said suddenly "Nothing you did would have caused this. They would have found some reason to anyway, know their sorts."  
  
Aeryn stirred on the bed and slowly opened her eyes. John was next to her like a shot.  
  
"Aeryn, how're you feeling?"  
  
"I'm fine," she replied automatically. "Where am I? And what happened?" Closing her eyes for a microt, Aeryn continued. "The last thing I remember we were in the market and you told me to run. Those Sebaceans caught me, but then I don't remember anything."  
  
John turned to Zhaan, disbelief and hope in his face. At his questioning glance Zhaan said, "It's possible the drugs have erased her memory of the last few arns. Are you sure you're alright dear?"  
  
"I'm fine Zhaan, just a bit sore."  
  
"Well then, I will leave you alone," Zhaan said. Please call me if you need anything."  
  
John watched as Zhaan made her way out of the cell and closed the door to give them some privacy. Then he turned back to Aeryn who had propped herself up on he elbows and found himself unwilling to meet her almost suspicious gaze.  
  
"What happened?" she asked again, worried by the strange look on his face and fresh tears on his cheeks.  
  
"Uh, we were caught by some bounty hunters," he said, not looking at her face. "You were beaten up pretty bad."  
  
"Oh," Aeryn replied. She glanced down as she thought about what he had said. "But why was I drugged and why am I wearing your shirt?"  
  
"You really don't remember?" he asked again. Aeryn was surprised and even more worried to see him start crying silently, fresher tears running down his face.  
  
"Remember what?" she answered, almost in exasperation. "John, what's wrong?"  
  
Aeryn jumped slightly as a sudden loud sob escaped John and he reached out to wipe away his tears. Struggling to regain his composure he reached for her hand.  
  
"You don't want to know Aeryn."  
  
"John, I need to know."  
  
"They raped you Aeryn."  
  
Through the shock of his words Aeryn could hear John crying again. Aeryn sat up and put her arms around John, feeling tears pricking at her own eyes. They sat there together for what seemed like arns, each taking comfort in the other's presence.  
  
Two days later, Aeryn was in Command, thinking over the last few days. She felt she was coping with what had happened to her, but not remembering any of it helped of course. Aeryn, along with the rest of the crew, was worried by John's behaviour. After telling her she'd been raped John had closed up, and Aeryn couldn't help but wonder if there were something else to it. Making up her mind, she decided to find out.  
  
"Pilot, could you locate Crichton for me please?" she asked a couple of arns later when her shift in command was finished.  
  
"He's in his quarters Offi...Aeryn."  
  
"Thanks Pilot," Aeryn said as she made her way out of the chamber and headed for the crew quarters.  
  
All of Aeryn's shipmates had been absolutely horrified when they found out what had happened. Zhaan had continuously asked about her well being and prayed for her. Chiana's concern had surprised every one and Aeryn felt quite touched by her genuine concern. D'Argo had vowed to kill every one of their captors should he ever see them. Even Rygel had muttered 'sorry' before moving away to collect some food cubes. But John had seemed to avoid her. Aeryn was very glad she had no memory of her time as a prisoner, the thought was too disturbing. She reached the door to his chamber and knocked softly before entering. John was sitting on his bed, lost in thought.  
  
"John, it's me." Aeryn said as she moved over to sit next to him. He lifted his head but made no other response, not even smiling at her. Aeryn was seriously worried about him and missed his usually continuous chatter and humour. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"  
  
"I appreciate you trying to help Aeryn, but there's nothing you can do." He smiled sadly before returning his gaze to the floor.  
  
"I can help, John. Is it about what happened on the planet? Is there something else?"  
  
"Just leave it, will you Aeryn?" John asked, getting irritated with her.  
  
"No I will not." Aeryn replied, angry at his attempts to brush off her help. "There is obviously something wrong and I'm not leaving this chamber until you've told me what it is you...you...Human!" Aeryn crossed her arms to emphasise her statement but her anger faded quickly as she looked at John to see him resting his head in his hands with moisture soaking between his fingers. "John? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."  
  
"No, I'm sorry Aeryn," John said from between his hands. "I'm the reason they raped you. They did it to torture me into telling them where the others were. You're probably going to hate me but I'm so, so sorry."  
  
Shocked again by his words, Aeryn sat stock still for a microt before responding to him.  
  
"John no! You're not the reason it happened, don't blame yourself." John said nothing in response, keeping his face hidden in his hands. "What do you mean, to torture you?" Aeryn asked suddenly as she realised what he had said.  
  
"John?"  
  
Sitting up and taking his head from his hands, John wiped his face before answering her question.  
  
"They made me watch Aeryn. I could see and hear everything."   
  
Aeryn gasped in shock as John began to sob loudly. Suddenly coming back to life she enveloped his shuddering body in her slender arms and rocked him gently as he cried. Tears ran down her own face in response to his pain but she didn't notice them. When John finally stopped she eased away from him ever so slightly to smile softly at his tear stained face.   
  
"I'm fine John, don't worry about it."  
  
"It was horrible Aeryn. You were crying out and I couldn't do anything to stop him. It was really, really horrible."  
  
"Well we're both here and not injured so that's what matters." Aeryn said softly, looking into his face. Ever so slowly she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips. John responded to her kiss and wrapped his arms tightly around her body. When she broke the kiss, Aeryn leaned towards his ear and whispered  
  
"We're both fine," before kissing him again  



End file.
